A little bit Pregnant.

A nervous look crossed Kaila's features for a moment, but then she shook her head. The soft sound of the fire in the background brought a light glow to one side of her face.

"No, it's alright. Somebody kinda got a little... pregnant."

"On the first date?" Charlotte asked again, her face in an expression of shock.

"Yeah," Kaila said, an embarrassed look on her face. "I mean, there was some serious dating occurring, but it was pretty obvious when it had happened."

"So, I proposed." I interjected, looking at the rapt faces of the other two women.

"And a while later, had a fun little wedding." Kaila smiled, looking at me with an expression I had come to love over the years. Sweet, yet full of love, with an underlying current of sensuality.

"So, where's y'alls baby this week? Grandma's?" Charlotte asked.

"I uh... Shit, I didn't..." Kaila said, her voice becoming soft. "It was an ectopic pregnancy."

"I'm sorry." Helen spoke with a similar quiet tone, a look of concern on her face.

There was an awkward moment, with no one saying anything. I thought that perhaps we had shared a bit too much.

"Hey, I'll get the dishes." I spoke, breaking the silence.

"Thanks hon," Kaila handed me a dirty bowl as I rose to my feet and started for the sink.

"I'll help." Helen stated, rising to her feet as well and collecting several dishes.

I could hear Charlotte and Kaila talking in the background as I turned on the water and began to scrape the bowls into the trash. The cabin had no dishwasher, so it took a few minutes to fill the sink and collect the dishes.

My wife and Charlotte continued to talk as I immersed my hands in soapy water and began to scrub. I would finish a dish, and then hand it to Helen, who wiped it dry with a dishtowel. It took a few long minutes to finish, and all the while, the two women behind us became quieter and gentler with their conversation. I looked over my shoulder at one point, to see Kaila whisper in Charlotte's ear, and then both of them giggle like two fourteen year old girls.

"There she goes again." Grumbled Helen, who had apparently seen the same thing I had.

"Something wrong?" I asked, looking into Helen's soft gray eyes.

"Nothing. Just that Charlotte likes to gossip." She explained, wiping off the last dish and placing it on the counter.